Nearly 40 years ago, five farmers, searching for well water
in central China's Shaanxi province, accidentally stumbled upon the archaeological
find of the century: the 2,200-year-old remnants of a burial complex housing an
entire legion of life-sized, eerily life-like terracotta warriors interred 4-6
meters underground near the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the self-proclaimed First
Emperor of China (221-210 BCE). One can only imagine the awe experienced by the
team of archaeologists when they caught their first jaw-dropping glimpse of the
eighth wonder of the world, a spectacular discovery comparable to that of
Howard Carter and George Herbert's opening of King Tut's tomb in Egypt's Valley
of the Kings in 1922. Like the Egyptian pharaohs, the First Emperor was
obsessed with eternal life and transplanting himself and his material comforts,
along with his retinue and immense military, into the next world. A planner, he
had commenced construction on a vast necropolis at the age of 13, when he rose
to power.

So far, over 8,000 of the warriors, most of whom were found
standing in battle formation in the mausoleum's network of tunnels along with
their weapons, chariots and horses, have been excavated from the massive site,
which has become a tourist mecca. At 250,000 sq. ft., it's the length of four
football fields, and includes a replica of the imperial palace with stables,
offices, an armory, an amusement park, an aviary with elegant bronze sculptures
of waterfowl, and a zoo.

China's Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor's Legacy,
a wondrous new exhibit at the Asian Art Museum,
provides a worthy showcase for 10 of the clay statues – the maximum
number that China allows out of the country per institution. It also focuses on
Qin Shihuang's consuming quest for immortality, as well as his
unification of the provinces, a mammoth undertaking that involved the
standardization of currency, weights and language, and the building of
infrastructure. Lest you think he's only remembered for his innovations, it has
been rumored that he had the 720,000 workers enlisted to construct the project
buried alive upon its completion to preserve the tomb's secrets. The story has
been dismissed by some as myth, but it nonetheless sheds light on the
perception of a ruthless tyrant who unified the country at great cost to his
enemies, executing scholars, burning books and smiting anyone who dared stand
in his way.

Although the warriors are certainly the headliner, the bulk
of the exhibition is comprised of 110 objects taken from the burial chambers of
the First Emperor's ancestors and areas surrounding his eminence's tomb. Bronze
weaponry and sculptures, a limestone suit of armor and helmet (the latter
designed for burial, not combat), figurines and a plaque inscribed with an
imperial decree are among the pieces on display. But the main attraction is the
presence of the 10 magisterial figures – two horses and eight soldiers
representing a variety of ranks – who are like emissaries from a long-ago
distant age.

The exhibition's crackerjack installations, designed by
Marco Centin, are possibly the
museum's best yet, and that's saying a lot, because the Asian's presentations
consistently outclass those of other local venues. Somehow they've surmounted the
biggest and most daunting challenge they faced: communicating the enormity of the
ancient army with a mere 10 statues.

The warriors occupy their own gallery, one of three spaces
filled with objects, historical context and videos, and can be viewed close-up
from multiple angles. Theatrically lit like a stage set in a darkened room,
they stand on two separate platforms, while on one large wall, a slide show
with blown-up photographs of one of the pits conveys the vastness of the find,
and scenes of the actual excavation, which is still underway, unfold on a video
screen. Incredibly well-preserved, the figures, which were once painted in
blazing bright colors, are amazingly lifelike with expressive faces, individual
hairstyles and an uncanny sense of movement in their muscular physiques. Take
the formidable general, poised for action, his hands appearing to rest on the
hilt of an unseen sword. The horses in particular, with their smooth, muscular
flanks, perfectly sculpted hooves, mouths agape, ears on alert and nostrils
flared, seem to live and breathe in front of you, ready to be mounted and
ridden into the fray. It's as if they've just stepped off the battlefield or
emerged from their underground bunkers yesterday instead of 2,000 years ago. If
only they could speak, the tales they would tell of a civilization capable of
both superb artistry and slaughter on an epic scale. (Through May 27.)